Glory to the Father and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit;*
as it was in the beginning, is now, and shall be for ever. Amen.

PSALMODY

Antiphon: Where can I go from your Spirit?*
where can I flee from your presence?

Opening (from Psalm 139)
I will thank you because I am marvellously made;*
your works are wonderful, and I know it well.
My body was not hidden from you,*
while I was being made in secret
and woven in the depths of the earth.
How deep I find your thoughts, O God!*
how great is the sum of them!
If I were to count them, they would be more in number than
the sand;*
to count them all, my life span would need to be like yours.
Glory to the Father…

Psalm 24
The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it,*
the world and all who dwell therein.
For it is he who founded it upon the seas*
and made it firm upon the rivers of the deep.
‘Who can ascend the hill of the Lord?*
and who can stand in his holy place?’
‘Those who have clean hands and a pure heart,*
who have not pledged themselves to falsehood,
nor sworn by what is a fraud.
They shall receive a blessing from the Lord*
and a just reward from the God of their salvation.’’
Such is the generation of those who seek him,*
of those who seek your face, O God of Jacob.
Lift up your heads, O gates;
lift them high, O everlasting doors;*
and the King of glory shall come in.
‘Who is this King of glory?’*
‘The Lord, strong and mighty,
the Lord, mighty in battle.’
Lift up your heads, O gates;
lift them high, O everlasting doors;*
and the King of glory shall come in.
‘Who is he, this King of glory?’*
‘The Lord of hosts,
he is the King of glory.’
Glory to the Father . . .

Creator and ruler of all, open our hearts that the King of glory may enter, and bring us rejoicing to your holy mountain, where you live and reign, now and forever. Amen

Psalm 29Ascribe to the Lord, you gods,*
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;*
worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.
The voice of the Lord is upon the waters;
the God of glory thunders;*
the Lord is upon the mighty waters.
The voice of the Lord is a powerful voice;*
the voice of the Lord is a voice of splendour.
The voice of the Lord breaks the cedar trees;*
the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon;
He makes Lebanon skip like a calf,*
and Mount Hermon like a young wild ox.
The voice of the Lord splits the flames of fire;
the voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness;*
the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.
The voice of the Lord makes the oak trees writhe*
and strips the forests bare.
And in the temple of the Lord*
all are crying, ‘Glory!’
The Lord sits enthroned above the flood;*
the Lord sits enthroned as king for evermore.
The Lord shall give strength to his people;*
the Lord shall give his people the blessing of peace.
glory to the Father . . .

God of mystery and power, open our eyes to the flame of your love, and open our ears to the thunder of your justice, that we may receive your gifts of blessing and peace, to the glory of your name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

Conclusion (from 1 Timothy 3)
Great indeed, we confess,*
is the mystery of our religion.
He was manifested in the flesh,*
vindicated in the Spirit,
Seen by angels,*
preached among the nations,
Believed on in the world;*
taken up in glory.
Glory to the Father…

Antiphon: Where can I go from your Spirit?*
where can I flee from your presence?

READING

John 8.12-20Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.’ Then the Pharisees said to him, ‘You are testifying on your own behalf; your testimony is not valid.’ Jesus answered, ‘Even if I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is valid because I know where I have come from and where I am going, but you do not know where I come from or where I am going. You judge by human standards; I judge no one. Yet even if I do judge, my judgement is valid; for it is not I alone who judge, but I and the Father who sent me. In your law it is written that the testimony of two witnesses is valid. I testify on my own behalf, and the Father who sent me testifies on my behalf.’ Then they said to him, ‘Where is your Father?’ Jesus answered, ‘You know neither me nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also.’ He spoke these words while he was teaching in the treasury of the temple, but no one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come.

Silence

Response (Psalm 105:5)
V. Call to mind what wonders he has done!
R. Call to mind what wonders he has done!
V. His marvellous acts and the judgements of his mouth.
R. What wonders he has done!
V. Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
R. Call to mind what wonders he has done!

MAGNIFICAT

Magnificat Antiphon: God has cast down the mighty*
and lifted up the lowly.

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour;
for he has looked with favour on his lowly servant;*
from this day all generations will call me blessed.
The Almighty has done great things for me*
and holy is his name.
He has mercy on those who fear him*
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm;*
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones*
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,*
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel,*
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our forebears,*
to Abraham and his children for ever.
Glory to the Father

Magnificat Antiphon: God has cast down the mighty*
and lifted up the lowly.

PRAYERS

Lord, have mercy upon us.
Christ, have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon us.

Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Do not bring us to the time of trial,
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours,
now and forever. Amen.

Collects
Almighty God, we are taught by your word that all our doings without love are worth nothing. Send your Holy Spirit and pour into our hearts that most excellent gift of love, the true bond of peace and of all virtue; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Lord God almighty, come and dispel the darkness from our hearts, that in the radiance of your brightness we may know you, the only unfading light, glorious in all eternity. Amen.

Let us bless the Lord:
Thanks be to God!

The God of hope fill us with all joy and peace in believing:
through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.